Below is a list of complaints & problems filed against the 1997 HONDA PRELUDE.
These problems includes information received by NHTSA from consumers either directly or as recorded by the Vehicle Safety Hotline. This information may be used by NHTSA during the investigation process.
If you like to file an official complaint for the 1997 HONDA PRELUDE, you can do so by calling the NHTSA Mon-Fri 8am to 8pm at 888-327-4236, TTY: 800-424-9153. You can also file your complaint online by clicking here.
Your complaint will be added to the NHTSA complaints database after a thorough review. If a trend is discovered, an investigation will be opened by the ODI.

POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

4/7/2014 - BRADENTON , FLITS THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IT ONLY HAS 136000 MILES ON IT AND I NEED A NEW ONE THAT'S REALLY LOW MILES FOR A 97 NEVER HAD A PROBLEM LIKE THIS EVER WITH ANY OF MY CARS. I HEARD ITS WITH ALL THE HONDAS.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

8/7/2013 - MONTGOMERY, IL THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 HONDA PRELUDE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 02V120000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 186,000.

POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

6/8/2011 - LOS ANGELES , CAWELL BASICALLY I BOUGHT MY 97AUTOMATIC PRELUDE, AND NOT MORE THAN A MONTH LATER OF HAVING THE CAR THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO MALFUNCTION. BASICALLY IT WOULD SOUND LIKE A SCREW DRIVER WAS BEING FORCED INTO THE GEARS OR SOMETHING. ON TOP OF THAT IT WAS REVVING RIDICULOUSLY HIGH AND NOT MOVING ANYWHERE. MY FOURTH GEAR WAS GONE THEY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. NOT TO MENTION WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS ADDRESSED TO THE DEALER THEY SAID BRING IT IN AND THEY WILL ERASE THE CODE "GOOD AS NEW" TO BE EXACT. BUT HONESTLY AS A CONSUMER A LOYAL ONE, I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD BE COMPENSATED BY HAVING MY TRANSMISSION REPLACED OR FULLY REBUILT. CAUSE EVERYONE KNOWS AS WELL AS HONDA MECHANICS WHO HAVE FILLED ME IN WITH THE SS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS BEING THE CAUSE OF BAD BEARINGS AND BAD INTERNALS AND BAD TORQUE CONVERTERS. SEEING AS ME BEING THE CONSUMER AND BEING CONSTANTLY PUT IN A SITUATION BEEN AM I GONNA BREAK DOWN ON THE FREEWAY ON THE WAY TO WORK OR YET EVEN WORSE AT NIGHT PAST MIDNIGHT WHEN I'M OFF. NOW LET ME REMIND U IT'S STILL A LEASE AND THERE ARE SOME FACTS I KNOW AD RESEARCHED ON LIKE "THE MAGNUSON-MOSS WARRANTY ACT (15 U.S.C. 2302-¬)" WHICH STATES: THIS FEDERAL LAW REGULATES WARRANTIES FOR THE PROTECTION OF CONSUMERS. THE ESSENCE OF THE LAW CONCERNING AFTERMARKET AUTO PARTS IS THAT A VEHICLE MANUFACTURER MAY NOT CONDITION A WRITTEN OR IMPLIED WARRANTY ON THE CONSUMERS USING PARTS OR SERVICES WHICH ARE IDENTIFIED BY BRAND, TRADE, OR CORPORATE NAME (SUCH AS THE VEHICLE MAKER'S BRAND) UNLESS THE PARTS OR SERVICE ARE PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE. THE LAW MEANS THAT THE USE OF AN AFTERMARKET PART ALONE IS NOT CAUSE FOR DENYING THE WARRANTY. HOWEVER, THE LAW'S PROTECTION DOES NOT EXTEND TO AFTERMARKET PARTS IN SITUATIONS WHERE SUCH PARTS ACTUALLY CAUSED THE DAMAGE BEING CLAIMED UNDER THE WARRANTY. FURTHER, CONSUMERS ARE ADVISED TO BE AWARE OF ANY SPECIFIC TERMS OR CONDITIONS STATED IN THE WARRANTY WHICH MAY RESULT IN ITS BEING VOIDED. THE LAW STATES IN RELEVANT PART: -??NO WARRANTOR OF.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION: SWITCH

8/17/2010 - STOCKTON, CA THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 HONDA PRELUDE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH IN A PARKING LOT, THE VEHICLE STALLED. SHE STATED SHE TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND WHEN RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE CONTACT STATED THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED AT LEAST SIX TIMES, INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO HAVE THE DEALER DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 02V120000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION: SWITCH). THE CONTACT DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 146,565 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 146,765.

POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

3/31/2010 - NEW ROSS, 00I'VE DRIVING MY PRELUDE FOR 4 YEARS. VERY SOON AFTER I GOT IT I NOTICD THE SHIFTING WAS JERKY. SOON AFTER IT BECAME JUMPY AND NOW WHEN I DRIVIE MY CAR FROM COLD ITS BOLTING INTO GEAR WITH A TREMENDOUS JERK. I FEEL ITS ON ITS WAY OUT.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

7/16/2009 - TROUTDALE, ORAPRIL 2007 I HAD THE SHIFT INTERLOCK UPDATE AS WELL AS THE IGNITION SWITCH RECALL DONE AT MY LOCAL DEALER. THE SHIFT INTERLOCK UPDATE INCLUDED A WHOLE NEW LOCK ASSEMBLY INCLUDING NEW TUMBLERS AND A NEW KEY BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE MY OLD KEY WHILE NOT IN PARK. JULY 2009 I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS TURNING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION USING MANY DIFFERENT KEYS. SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE TUMBLERS WERE DAMAGED AND THAT THE WHOLE LOCK ASSEMBLY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. I WAS HAVING NO PROBLEMS WITH THE LOCK PRIOR TO THE RECALL WORK. THE NEW LOCK INSTALLED DURING THE RECALL LASTED JUST OVER 2 YEARS AND HONDA WOULD NOT WARRANTY THE WORK BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN OVER 12 MONTHS 12000 MILES. I ASKED THEM TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHY MY ORIGINAL LOCK LASTED 10 YEARS AND WAS HAVING NO ISSUES WHEN RECALLED, AND THE REPLACEMENT ONLY 2 YEARS. THEY SAID THAT THEY COULDN'T EXPLAIN IT BUT THE CHARGE TO REPLACE WAS $887. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO REPLACE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE NEW LOCK ASSEMBLY INSTALLED BECAUSE OF THE RECALL WAS DEFECTIVE, AND IT WAS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE FOR ME TO REPLACE.

POWER TRAIN

POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

8/7/2008 - ROSEDALE, MDTHE TRANSMISSION IN MY 1997 HONDA PRELUDE AUTOMATIC SS CRAPPED OUT ON ME AFTER KICKING AND SLIPPING FOR A FEW MONTHS SO I HAD IT REBUILT...AND NOW A FEW MONTHS LATER IT'S ALREADY SLIPPING AND KICKING AGAIN. IT COST 1500 TO HAVE IT REBUILT THE FIRST TIME, HONDA ALREADY ADDRESSED THE 00-01 PRELUDE AUTO TRANSMISSIONS IN A RECALL, WHY HAVEN'T THE ADDRESSED THE ISSUES IN THE PRIOR YEARS? IT'S THE SAME CAR AS THE 00-01, NO CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE BODY, ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, AND YET THEY REFUSE TO ADDRESS THIS WIDESPREAD ISSUE AMONG PRELUDE OWNERS. I FOR ONE AM TIRED OF IT, HONDA OWES IT TO THEIR LOYAL CONSUMERS THAT THEY CONFRONT THIS ISSUE HEAD ON.

POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

3/27/2008 - CLINTON TOWNSHIP, MII HAVE A 1997 PRELUDE THAT HAS HAD 1 TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN NOV. OF 2005 & IT WAS REBUILT. IT CURRENT IS FAILING THE SAME WAY THE FIRST TRANSMISSION FAILED. IT IS MAKING NOISE & STARTING TO SLIP WHEN IT IS COLD. $1700 TO FIX THE 1ST TRANSMISSION BY A TRANS SHOP. I AM JOINING A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT IF IT IS NOT TAKEN CARE OF FROM HONDA. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 65,000 MILES ON IT!